Recognizing the Different Opponent Types (Introduction)

One of the weaknesses in martial arts strategy is that many fighters tend to look at fighting as “defense against a jab”, or “defense against a round kick”, etc. It is more than simply a matrix of what-to-do-against-what. Perhaps at the beginning level, that is all the matters because new fighters are trying to develop very crude skills at identifying techniques. But at the higher levels, being familiar with specific fighter styles and types becomes more important that what they do. This is a skill that cannot be rationalized in “what-if” sessions. They must be felt and experienced to fully understand and this is why I say most FMA teachers today are not qualified, as they have just not gained enough experience at actually fighting with their arts. A Jeet Kune Do man’s jab is not the same as a Karate man’s jab, and neither jab is anything like most boxers’ jabs… and to get even deeper–we will have to look at what type of boxer’s jab. There are inside picker-fighters, inside slugger fighters, inside knockout artists, and more. And each of these men have a different jab that must be dealt with completely differently from the next. Add to this the fighters’ physical attributes, like speed, power and size–and then his habits, and you have a very complex problem to resolve in the blink of an eye.

I would like to introduce the fighter types by habit in this series. Of course, I am only looking to introduce you to a concept that you will have to learn on your own. We will not be able to teach this on a blog.

This information can fill a series of books and the collection wouldn’t contain everything you would learn on your own through a fighting career. On top of that, many fighters spend a career and never learn this important skill, which is why not every fighter will make a good teacher. (That said, it would still be better to learn from a fighter who has experienced it than a teacher who has not. The fighter would know the types and know what to do, although he may not be able to articulate it well, would still be a good person to show you what to do. The teacher who has not will teach you things that will get you hurt.)

So, I will work on this series and get back to you tomorrow. I have to make breakfast and go out and start my day. Thank you for visiting my blog!